2022 is already off to a fast start and I think we are at the point where just about everyone ditches their New Year's Resolutions. Am I right? UPstar. Music's main focus is helping discover the rising talent in Country Music and helping you find the stars of tomorrow that will be on the biggest stages around the country. Maggie Baugh is a prime example of the exemplary young talent bursting onto the scene in Nashville. I sat down with Maggie and talked about her single "Drinking to the Broken Hearts", her transition from Classical Music to Country Music, and what the musician community in Nashville means to her.
Get To Know Maggie
"I'm originally from South Florida, Boca Raton. It's on the east coast so I'm like 20 minutes from Lauderdale and 20 minutes away from Delray. I started playing violin when I was 6 years old, so I come from a slightly different musical background than some people. I was classically trained as a violinist, until halfway through middle school. I went to an arts program for school and I participated in orchestra and classical music was a big passion of mine. It was what I wanted to do and actually played Carnegie Hall when I was 10 or 11 years old. Juilliard was on my bucket list of colleges that I wanted to attend. It's a funny story how Country Music fell into my lap considering I grew up so passionate about playing classical music. My dad is from West Texas. Growing up we either listened to Classical Music or Country Music. I got started songwriting because in middle school I was bullied. Instead of doing something terrible to myself, I would write my feelings down and I started writing poetry. It then turned into writing lyrics. I didn't play guitar at that time, so it was words in a book in order to get those feelings off my chest. My violin teacher encouraged me to get a guitar in my hands. I did and started using music as an outlet to cope with my feelings. I shared my stories around South Florida and at songwriter nights and my name started getting out there. I got to the point where I thought that maybe I could do this as a full time job. I started touring around South Florida until I moved to Nashville. I moved 2 days after graduating from high school and my family still lives in South Florida. The first year or two I was in Nashville I decided to be on the road and toured a lot nationally. There were a lot of headlining gigs and gigs where I opened up for other people. When Covid hit, it was really hard to cope with the fact that touring wasn't an option. I'm a bubbly human and that's what you get on stage. It's really hard to keep me in a room for more than an hour. I fell out of love with music, which is terrible because it's something I have loved for so long and music got me out of some dark times. It wasn't until I started listening to John Mayer records that I fell in love with the idea of playing guitar on my couch and not caring if anyone else heard it. Both of my singles "Think About Me" and "Drinking to the Broken Hearts" were both a result of covid."
A Song That Makes You Stop And Think
Maggie Baugh was named one of UPstar. Music's 2022 Artists to Watch and there is no surprise why. Maggie uses her background in Classical Music and intertwines it with Country Music to bring listeners a cool and soothing sound that really pulls you in and gets you hooked on each line and verse. Maggie's approach showcases a kind of patience that allows you to sit back and digest the music in real time. It doesn't just shove heavy beats and watered down lyrics into the airwaves. It's clear she takes pride in her songwriting and is an elite storyteller that can paint a picture for the listener. A true masterpiece start to finish.
Inspiration Behind "Drinking to the Broken Hearts"
Written By: Maggie Baugh & Barrett Barber, Produced By: Sol Littlefield
"I wrote "Drinking to the Broken Hearts" back in 2019, so I've been holding onto it for a very long time. I just didn't have an appropriate time when I wanted to release it. I wrote it when I was under age so there's that. I remember sitting in my house trying to think of song ideas and I was playing my guitar and drinking when “broken hearts” came to me. I have always wanted to write a song from both a male and female perspective about what happens after a break up. I knew Barrett Baber would be a great fit to help me bring this song to life. He wrote "Nothin' On You" for Cody Johnson and other songs on his new record. Barrett is such a unique writer and he brings a story to life. He was a bucket list writer that I wanted to write a song with. I brought the idea into the write that day and I knew from the moment we wrote it in December of 2019 that this song was special."
Q & A With Maggie Baugh
Q: What was that "light bulb" moment when you knew you wanted to pursue music?
A: "I would say it was the reaction of my fans. I didn't get into music in order to be on stage, I did it because I went through something horrible and used music as an escape. The moment I knew I wanted to do music full time was when I realized my songs were resonating with other people. For me, music is a lot like a speech; one might practice it in your room and it really moves you, but it doesn't resonate until you see other peoples’ reactions. I think all of that made me realize that my stories and songs can change someone's life. I was 13 when I decided to take music seriously."
Q: Who are the first influential people you met in Nashville that helped you personally and musically?
A: "Every single time I've been asked this question I've said Caroline Kole. She's a pop artist now. I met her at the North Carolina music festival. She was 16 or 18 years old, had just signed with SONY and it was her birthday. She was getting ready to go on tour with Reba McEntire and told me to play anywhere and everywhere I could because you never know who's watching. Caroline was the very first person I really looked up to in regards to someone who sang and played guitar. Most people think it would be Taylor Swift or someone like that, but it's not. Caroline was someone who was just starting out like me. I am so happy to call her a friend today."
Q: What's your favorite thing about Nashville?
A: "I love the community of musicians. There are so many people here who love to write and being a musician at heart, it has really opened so many doors for me. I guess you could call it opening the doors to the "musicians club". These are the people playing on records for artists and those who go on tour with artists. It’s these people who have been so influential in my career so far."
Q: What's one thing that most people don't know about you?
A: "Most people don't know that I come from a Classical Music background and that I played Carnegie Hall when I was about 11 years old. That's like the Grand Ole Opry in Country Music, but for classical musicians. I don't think I knew how big of a deal it was at the time when I was actually playing there. A lot of people don't know I'm allergic to cats."
If you are just discovering Maggie Baugh follow her on Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok